Watch without hands a new jab at Apple You have to sound a minute repeater whose chimes tell the time

Can a watch provide social commentary on the topic of modernity vs the classical? Swiss watchmaker H. Moser & Cie has set out to do the same with its Swiss Alp Watch Concept Black. The watch doesn’t have have hands or a dial — the only thing on the front is a flying tourbillon mechanism to counteract the effects of gravity.

One can tell the time by a minute repeater whose chimes will tell you if you’re running late. This is supposed to be a call back to the time when one needed to check the time in the dark. The design is intended to take a dig at the Apple watch which can also emit repeaters when the screen is turned off.

It is a pain to adjust the time on the Swiss watch. One has to pull out the crown to see indicators guiding the way. But at least the chimes are powerful due to a resonance chamber that produces a powerful, “pure” sound.

According to H. Moser, the watch is an attempt to go back to the roots of watchmaking. This brings the watch to its “rightful place” as a timekeeper rather than a “time-wasting ‘smart’ device displaying notifications,” the company said. The firm’s stand against smartwatches and focus on convenience over tradition and opulence is popular among watch buyers.

According to Wired, H. Moser has already sold its first piece and is planning to make more.

But it may not be for everyone, even for the affluent.

The watch is priced at $350,000 which makes sure that the watch is not for the uninitiated especially when there are more pocket-friendly ways to snub modern technology.